Human Resources: Streamlining Organisational Communication
Organisational success relies heavily on effective human resources management and communication is vital to that success. Maintaining efficiency and productivity in the workplace has also relied on open lines of communication between HR, management and staff members.
Although technology such as the internet and mobile texting has made organisational communication easier, miscommunication is still a critical issue in many workplaces. Organisations need comprehensive policies and strategies for communicating with their employees, stakeholders and the community to succeed. HR professionals are pivotal to ensuring the success of communication within an organisation.
This article discusses organisational communication challenges and how human resources specialists can streamline communication in the workplace and beyond.
The challenges to clear human resources communication
Organisations may have multiple employees, stakeholders and community members to communicate with, so HR faces an enormous challenge. For example, employees in retail stores must communicate with customers, supervisors and colleagues to create a positive retail experience for the customer and maintain operations within the business.
Ineffective communication within an organisation is not only frustrating for employees and customers, but it also leads to inefficiencies within the business. These communication inefficiencies can manifest in multiple ways, such as:
Unproductive conflict
When there is an inadequate exchange of information in the workplace, employees may have difficulty completing tasks, leading to higher employee turnover and lower productivity.
Misguided decision making
When essential information is unavailable, decision-makers may make uninformed decisions, which ultimately hurt the business and could alienate external stakeholders, business partners and customers.
Poor use of resources in human resources
Information technologies (computers, cell phones, email) are expensive to acquire and maintain; thus, HR can only justify using these technologies if they positively impact organisational processes.
Diminished employee morale
Employees may disengage from work when they need help understanding the actual purposes of their jobs or if they believe that information about what is going on at their company is not readily available.
Suppressed initiative
Employees who need access to the information required to make informed decisions or complete assignments may become frustrated and stop trying.
Toxic work environments
Toxic work environments often stem from a breakdown in communication where there is no transparency and open channels of discussion and feedback are nonexistent. Information is conveyed one-way (top-down, hierarchical) rather than shared openly, leading to a lack of harmony and mutual understanding among team members.
In this environment, people are expected to follow orders and conform to policies without really understanding why – the result is a breakdown in trust and morale, decreased productivity and innovation, cynicism and low performance.
It is clear that this type of environment does not foster an enjoyable working experience for anybody. The human resources department should implement the processes and mechanisms necessary to ensure communication channels flow openly, effectively and efficiently to all levels of the organisation so everyone can share knowledge.
The benefits of a streamlined communication through human resources
Companies can make the most of their employees’ expertise and insights with smooth and effective communication channels. Most of the time, the advantages of this go beyond monetary gain.
When a business implements effective communication systems and practices, it has the opportunity to realise these advantages and more:
- Enhanced staff engagement levels and productivity
- A more comprehensive understanding of business goals and plans by all parties involved
- There is better knowledge transfer when fundamental business changes are made, as there is a shorter period of confusion and transition.
- Reduced level of ambiguity
- A reduction in office gossip and time wasted due to misunderstanding.
- More effective training and onboarding programs for new employees
- More openness between departments creates a culture of mutual support.
- Reduced likelihood of redundant work due to a greater ability to coordinate work tasks and goals
- Improved organisational and individual business risk management abilities.
Effective communication systems and practices are vital to the success of a business. Employees are a business’ most significant assets. They will perform better and more efficiently when they feel adequately connected to their work environment and in harmony with their fellow workers and the organisation’s goals and values.
Tips for streamlining human resources communication
As discussed above, there are multiple benefits to developing effective communication within an organisation. Here are some tips to help HR managers overcome internal communication challenges and strive towards better communication amongst employees, managers and the human resources department:
Establish the company vision and culture
For HR specialists and managers who want their teams to communicate effectively and prosper, it is essential to create an organisational culture of engagement where employees are clear about the objectives and goals of the organisation. For example, they must be able to articulate the organisation’s values, which can make all the difference in how employees view themselves and their position.
When employees are regularly communicated with about how their work contributes to overall organisational success, they are more likely to feel a sense of commitment and become engaged in the work that they do.
Develop a communication strategy with your human resources department
An organisation’s communication strategy should outline a plan for sharing information and ideas within the organisation and among its stakeholders, such as employees, customers, investors and business partners.
It should also outline the approaches and channels HR will use to communicate and deliver information on the organisation’s strategy, goals, objectives and performance.
Set up open human resources communication channels
Having a transparent and open line of communication between HR teams and their employees is vital to the workforce understanding the company’s vision and expectations. An open communication channel means that employees can share issues, concerns and feedback with their HR manager and improve relationships with fellow employees.
Leveraging technology effectively
As an HR specialist, it is vital to ensure that the workforce uses technology effectively to work better and be more engaged within their workplace. Communicating through multiple communication channels may seem practical. Still, it also means that your HR team has to implement and monitor every communication channel, which might lead to poor outcomes if the channels are not used and monitored effectively.
HR can now access several web and mobile applications for communication purposes, such as human resources software, workforce management software and communication tools. These tools and channels streamline employee communications for the organisation, allowing employees to engage with each other and management, especially when working remotely or on the go.
Establishing the most effective and time-efficient channels for the internal team to communicate daily is essential to optimising employee performance. HR managers should define communication strategies to ensure that employees will be able to receive communication in a way that meets their needs.
Build authentic and trusting relationships in your human resources team
As a human resources specialist, it is essential to always put the human element first in the organisation. This perspective will help foster authentic relationships where team members get along with each other.
Feedback sessions and team-building exercises can help establish an atmosphere of mutual trust and respect through meaningful dialogue with employees regularly. It is also vital to listen sincerely and cautiously to employees’ feedback and concerns and act on them with urgency and empathy.
Walk the talk
To stay ahead of the game, human resources specialists can use these communication tactics to drive higher employee engagement and motivation levels while driving more prosperous relationships with external stakeholders and partners.
By collaborating with an expert HR specialist in South Africa, companies can gain human resources services that increase HR ROI more than internal employees. Employers can work alongside recruitment experts who can take care of HR administration, payroll and compliance management.
MASA offers effective human resources solutions that we can tailor to your business and its employees’ needs. Visit our website page to learn more, or fill in the contact form so we can begin analysing your needs and developing the outsourced human resources solutions for you.
